1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in lawnmowers. More specifically, it relates to an attachment that enables unclogging of a grass-clogged discharge port.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Lawnmowers with motor-driven blades have a side discharge port formed in a blade housing from which mowed grass clippings are discharged. When the grass being mowed is dry, the clippings do not cling to one another and they are propelled by the lawnmower blade through the port.
The discharge port becomes clogged when wet grass is mowed. The clippings cling to one another and gradually form a matted clump or mass that clogs the relatively small opening of the discharge port. If this condition is ignored, the mass builds up inside the blade housing and adversely affects rotation of the blade.
A clogged discharge port must therefore be cleaned out. This requires shutting down the mower, manual displacement of the mass of clippings that have clogged the discharge port, and re-starting the mower. This process must be repeated frequently.
Thus there is a need for an improved method of clearing a lawnmower discharge port that is clogged with wet grass clippings. The improved method would not require that the motor be shut down and re-started but would remove the clogged material safely with no danger to the mower operator even when the mower is running.
However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the field of this invention how to provide an apparatus that could perform the needed method.